Sleeping Through the Ages: A Blog Series - The Sweet Spot of Sleep Training

Months 4 – 24

Congratulations parents! You’ve made it through the beginning stages. You are now entering the sweet spot of sleep training – the glorious stage where basic sleep training begins! Now that your baby’s daytime and nighttime circadian sleep rhythms are established it is appropriate to begin shaping your baby’s sleep habits in a more structured and strategic manner.

The Sweet Spot of Sleep Training – What to Expect

Early Bedtime

By this age an early bedtime should be well established to help your baby avoid the overtired state. Using an early bedtime can help avoid bedtime battles, night wakings, early risings, and inconsistent napping.

Lengthened and Predictable Naps

As daytime sleep rhythms fall into place, scheduling your baby’s sleep will help lengthen naps and create predictable sleep habits. At 4 months of age a morning, afternoon, and early evening nap should be in place.

Nap Strikes and Transitions

As your baby continues to develop and grow, so too will their sleep needs. As a result of this development, sleep struggles are inevitable from time to time. Tackle regressions by arming yourself with the knowledge of when these strikes and transitions occur.

Sensitivity to Stimuli

Your baby’s heightened awareness, love for your attention, and curiosity about the world around them will naturally make them fight daytime napping. Understand that this is normal. Be sure to follow a strict nap time and bedtime routine. Design their sleep space to set the stage for easy sleep.

The Sweet Spot of Sleep Training – How to Proceed

Prepare the Sleep Space

A sleep space conducive to healthy sleep habits is one that follows the ABCs of Safe Sleep per the American Academy of Pediatrics. Be sure the space is a cool, dark, and quiet environment. This means, blackout blinds, a white noise machine, and a temperature set to 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit.

Schedule Sleep

Starting at 4 months of age, daytime sleep cycles regularize and become predictable. This means a morning, afternoon, and early evening nap should be established. Adhering to a strict sleep schedule aligned with your baby’s biological sleep rhythms will help to lengthen daytime sleep and become more reliable.

Master Your Bedtime Routine

A consistent bedtime routine is one of the most critical pieces to the sleep shaping puzzle. Following the same/similar set of steps at bedtime has been shown to encourage the release of the delicious sleepy hormone melatonin. Melatonin helps your baby to fall asleep easily and soundly.

Select a Method of Parental Response

Because daytime and nighttime sleep rhythms are now established, committing to a specific form of parental response will help to encourage your child towards independent sleep habits. A variety of sleep training methods have proven successful when parents follow through with steadfast consistency. Whether you select a high involvement method (i.e. Chair), moderate involvement method (i.e. Gradual Checks), or no involvement method (i.e. Extinction), choose a training strategy that suits your parenting style and temperament. Doing so ensures that you can move forward with an unwavering commitment and you will be sure to find success!

Be Proactive

Knowing when nap transitions and strikes occur will help you to anticipate upcoming sleep struggles so you can tackle them head on and efficiently. This will help to avoid bad habits from developing. Transitions can be expected around 6-8 months of age (3-2 nap Transition) and 15-18 months of age (2-1 nap Transition). Expect to see a nap strike occur around 12 months of age but don’t be fooled, your baby isn’t ready to drop from 2 to 1 naps quite yet!

Start your Training!

You’ve hit the sweet spot so go forth parents! Sleep cycles are developed and your baby is set. You now have the knowledge to move forward and guide your children towards sleep success. There is no better moment than this one to truly engage and shape healthy sleep habits for your whole family. Good luck!